Mental Health and Audio Perception/Enjoynment

[VMAT4]

It took me nearly 2 years for a general physician's referral to get me to a shrink... They are in short supply so the faster one reacts and gets help the better. They are there to help and want to help. They've seen it all before in most cases and will not be shocked or surprised by what one has to tell them.

Not only is there a shortage of "shrinks", there is a growing number of insurance companies that don't want to cover mental illness claims in the U.S. .

 

[Doodski]

Not only is there a shortage of "shrinks", there is a growing number of insurance companies that don't want to cover mental illness claims in the U.S. .

The delaying or end of one living their life in a productive, satisfying, healthy manner is often caused by mental illness. Mental illness causes relationship and lack of relationship issues, anxiety, paranoia, schizophrenia and all sorts of other illnesses and symptoms that cause them to withdraw from life and that leads to more mental and physical illness and that's chronic. Shorting people on mental health treatment access is being penny wise and a pound shy in the long run as far as the costs to society are concerned. I read that untreated mental health illnesses cause some billions of dollars in costs to society. Those costs could be eliminated or reduced drastically with some simple treatment or medication. The negative attitude toward mental illnesses needs to change for the better.

 

[Doodski]

OH... and on a positive note in Canada the budgets for mental health care are being upped substantially even though the budgets for other things are in the austerity range due to budget cuts. So the attitude towards mental health care is improving majorly.

 

[JohnBooty]

Speak for yourself, at least as far as Beethoven is concerned. Stairway to Heaven never thrilled me.

Ah, thank you for posting this.

This discussion about mental health, in which "Stairway to Heaven" was mentioned as a mere example, really has rounded into fine shape now that we know that you don't like this song.

Thank you, friend.

 

[Wombat]

Ah, thank you for posting this.

This discussion about mental health, in which "Stairway to Heaven" was mentioned as a mere example, really has rounded into fine shape now that we know that you don't like this song.

Thank you, friend.

Isn't imperiousness a pain?

 

[digicidal]

In my own case, I've found possibly the best medicine is simply to avoid my triggers (temporarily at least). If choosing to watch TV - I watch a good movie rather than the news or a program (they're called that for a reason) - unless it's a non-political documentary. If listening to music, I close my eyes and simply focus on the sound - not what's playing it or how much it cost. If driving, then I choose a less populated route (and, if possible, time as well). If using the computer, I keep it to work or casual content (and avoid social media and YT comment sections entirely). Exercise can also be very helpful - though admittedly I don't go that route as often as I should.

To me the audio side of things is much less stressful (compared to understanding/accepting society at large) despite having a decent case of "upgrade-itis" from time to time. Essentially I just require myself to honestly quantify what I'm missing and demonstrate proof of a solution... that pretty much ends it for source components, until something breaks or I want a system somewhere new. Unfortunately, with speakers/headphones it's quite a bit easier to quantify what's missing - even without measurements, but definitely with them. Luckily, the "proof of a solution" side of that equation is fairly restrictive (well, within my space/budget at least).

In the end I usually just figure it's perfectly fine to be "weird" - all the best ones are IMO - and to remind myself that these aren't actual problems at all. I'm amazingly lucky and blessed to be able to worry about the things I do - as opposed to worrying about finding food or shelter, being killed in war, etc. So in the end, it's better to just take the money for that 14th pair of speakers and instead donate that to a charity - or better yet, an actual homeless person, veteran, etc. directly. Sure, eventually I'll probably still get that pair... but hopefully not until later and only as a special treat - not as a requisite for happiness.

I read that untreated mental health illnesses cause some billions of dollars in costs to society. Those costs could be eliminated or reduced drastically with some simple treatment or medication. The negative attitude toward mental illnesses needs to change for the better.

Agreed. If they did, we might find that many of our other problems (gun violence, domestic abuse, addiction, homelessness, etc.) would mostly disappear along with them - and quite possibly at a lower total cost to the taxpayers. Unfortunately there are as many profiteers/scammers in the "solutions" being promoted in those areas (and agencies controlling them) as there are in high-end audiophile circles I'm afraid.

Isn't imperiousness a pain?

Dunno, is it?

 

[Eirikur]

Isn't imperiousness a pain?

It is to other people

PS: I love Stairway, but admittedly I get to experience it live whenever I want to - my wife doesn't even complain!

 

[Snarfie]

I thought it's maybe worthwhile appropriate to bring this up. I was pointed last year to enclosed web-link by a friend of mine who is a biologist at the Amsterdam zoo Artis. He is one of the organizers of Scientific sort of TED talks at Artis. Unfortunately i could not attend this opportunity to visit this event. However their is a video made an an well written description what the event was about. My interest is that big-data is playing a important role for patients an development of psychobiotics. For the people with depression/mental health issues or other forum members, it could be that you already knew about the fast development of psychobiotics think it is worthwhile to read the text an watch the video
for instance with Dr. laura Steenberg.



https://wetalkscience.com/my-microbes-made-me-do-it/

 

[LTig]

If I had all the time in the world, I could try to listen to the prelude to the first act of Lohengrin until nauseated. And NEVER WOULD I BE SICKENED.

Yeah! That got me my girl friend and later wife.

 

[Deleted member 65]

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I’m trying to live according to these scientific findings on what impacts the brain in a positive way.

Author Anders Hansen is a Consultant Doctor in psychiatri at Swedish NHS.

https://www.amazon.com/Real-Happy-Pill-Power-Moving/dp/151072298X

 

[Deleted member 65]

 

[Thomas savage]

Remember that this kind of trepidation is an industry issue. It's produced by the relationship between manufacturers, dealers, advertisers and consumers, in the things they say and do.

There are things you can do personally to address it, feel better and have a greater sense of control. The real way to fight it is to learn the engineering and psychoacoustics at least to some degree and spread that around by asking questions and demanding answers.

It helped me, I hope we help people this way.

Some folks can be a bit vulnerable in some ways when they come here, the pile on mob mentality that I sometimes see dose no one any favours.

 

[pozz]

It helped me, I hope in some way we help folks this way.

Some folks can be a bit vulnerable in some ways when they come here, the pile on mob mentality that I sometimes see dose no one any favours.

We sometimes hit the party line about blind testing, etc., way too hard without giving the poster time to explain themselves.

 

[MattHooper]

I am certainly familiar with upgraditus and audiophile nervosa.

Though these days my updgrade itch tends to focus only on speakers. (Well, except the new turntable I bought a couple years ago).

I try to stave off getting too bored with a system by keeping more than one speaker around. I had my Thiel 2.7s in my system for a couple of years but I'd got them cheap enough not to have to sell them to buy a new pair of Joseph Audio speakers. The Joseph speakers went in and there was a wow factor (different...better in some ways too). But after a few months just to mix it up I swapped the Thiels back in and got that "wow" factor back with the Thiels too. Sometimes I'll throw in my little Spendor speakers (or Waveforms, or smaller old Thiels) because I enjoy their presentation too. Keeps me appreciating each type of presentation.

Hmmm...maybe owning lots of different speakers isn't actually a sign I cured audiophile nervosa ;-)

 

[Hotwetrat]

It makes promises less enticing and informed opinions more valuable.

This has been huge for me

 

[eriksson]

Just buy Focal speakers and the wow factor will stay.. /s

We get used to things. Things that initially impress us. Great food gets boring if you eat it every day all days. Powerful cars are best enjoyed every once in a while, daily drive them and the WOW factor fades away.

Link to depression?
Perhaps, I am familiar with depression, I lost a decade of my life to it. It seems to me depressed people try to escape to something - like their hobbies if they are lucky enough to have one. And this can perhaps lead to narrow focus and overemphasis if the hobby is supposed becomes substitute for "life". Under these circumstances WOW factors fade away quickly. I did it for a while and was never satisfied, thankfully I had several hobbies to spread the focus. I remember taking long walks and the logical part of my brain was trying to explain to the rest of it my "world" had shrunk and I needed to expand my thinking and my experiences. It felt like my mind was stuck in a vise and my world was experienced via band-pass filter and I had to kick back.

So I can relate to the OP. However our experiences are so vastly different I doubt any of this makes much sense to him or anyone else.

 

[Ze Frog]

Thank you for understanding.

I am currently suffering from depression among other things and didn't quite know how to depict that in what I wrote/ I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to flat out say it. But I guess that cat's out of the bag now.

Can you explain what "nervosa" is and how it relates?

There's nothing wrong with admitting to depression, in fact it can be a good step to gaining control over it. Hope you find your balance again, you will likely get the magic from music back when you do. I have been in that position before, even to the point of hospital, but as much as it may seem thing's are beyond your control, but you'll get things back on track, just don't quit trying. And never feel shame for saying it out loud.

Do you find you listen to stuff you wouldn't have normally? That was my way back into musical enjoyment, music that I didn't associate with any part of my depression. I found classical and church music really helpful, also things like Brian Eno and music which is kind of ambient and almost meditative.

I wish you the best, you will find you again and probably an even better you. Sometimes it's takes a crisis to really see things in a new and clear light, even if the light can seem distant to begin with.

 

[Steve H]

The self imposed ( certainly in some equipment ) limitation of 20khz is an interesting one to read about:
http://wilson-benesch.com/reviews/Life_Beyond_20kHz_Blackmer_SVC_Sep-1998.pdf

We debunked this years ago. Please stop posting this stuff.

 

[Beave]

We debunked this years ago. Please stop posting this stuff.

Check the date of the post you replied to. It's from 2020.